Windows comes with a number of built-in security tools--most notably the Security Center, which is in control of your firewall, automatic updates and virus protection. The Security Center lets you see what program you're currently running and notifies you in the event that any application may be missing or malfunctioning. However, these notifications may be annoying, and may not recognize that you're aware of the problem (or that there's not a problem at all). You can disable security warnings by editing the settings of Windows Security Center or the Windows Action Center.

Windows 7

Step 1

Open the Action Center (in control of notifications) by clicking "Control Panel," opening "System and Security," then opening "Action Center."

Step 2

Click "Change Action Center settings" in the sidebar.

Step 3

Uncheck the boxes next to all the types of security center messages you want to disable. Unchecking them all will disable all notifications, but there may be some you want to keep just in case, so read through them before saving your changes.

Windows Vista

Step 1

Step 2

Click "Change the way Security Center alerts me" on the left of the window that appears.

Step 3

Click "Don't notify me and don't display the icon (not recommended)." You can also click "Don't notify me, but display the icon" if you still want to see the updates but don't want them to be as persistent.

Windows XP

Step 1

Open Windows Security Center by clicking "Start," then open the "All Programs" list. Open "Accessories," hover over the "System Tools" submenu, then click "Security Center." Or after clicking "Start," click "Control Panel" and click the icon for "Security Center."

Step 2

Expand the "Resources" sidebar menu if it is not visible already, then click "Change the way Security Center alerts me."

Step 3

Uncheck the box next to "Virus Protection" in the pop up window. You can also uncheck the boxes next to "Firewall" and "Automatic Updates" if you don't want to see those either. Unchecking these boxes will turn off all alerts and warnings from the Security Center.

About the Author

Based in California, James Wright has been writing since 1998. Wright's articles have been published on various websites with a focus on technical fields such as computers and the Internet, and were also featured in a now-retired publication for an online artistic community. Wright studied English, journalism, politics and psychology at Riverside Community College.